If you’re craving some fall fun, West Orange is the place to be. SEE

Treat week!

From city and school events to church o erings and even a homemade haunted house, West Orange is the place to be for some fall fun this week.

Photos by Amy Quesinberry

MILLIKEN HAUNTED HOUSE

AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

Halloween isn’t just an evening of donning a costume and knocking on neighbors’ doors to get a piece of candy. It has evolved into a night of parties, festivals, costume contests and residential haunted houses.

One of those spooky houses belongs to Kevin and Lu Milliken, of Oakland. Their home, at 330 N. Tubb St., is a normal-looking place with its front porch and breezeway to the back yard for most of the year. But in October, it becomes something straight out of a horror film. This year, the theme includes a prison.

Lu Milliken said she and her husband love all the holidays — but Halloween always has been their favorite.

The idea of a haunted house started years ago, when their grandson, Tristan, wanted a Halloween theme for his birthday party.

“We thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun if we created a haunted house they had to walk through to get to the party?’” Lu Milliken said. “We kept it up, and word had spread, and everyone was calling to bring their kids to it. It was a young one, because we were gearing it for a child’s party. Every year, we’ve been doing it ever since, and it has grown.”

This is the family’s fourth haunted house but the fifth year of offering some Halloween fun to the community. Because of the pandemic, Halloween 2020 was reduced to a movie being played on a loop on the garage door for a small group of children and teens who hung out there.

“People were driving by and were disappointed, so we decided we needed to do it again,” Lu Milliken said.

In years past, the line has extended down the driveway with folks waiting their turn to be scared — or to pretend they weren’t.

“We’re back this year, and it’s bigger,” Lu Milliken said. “It goes through the haunted house and through the backyard and loops all around our house. We kind of anticipate at least as many (people) as the last time. … It’s longer.”

Lu Milliken said all ages are welcome to walk through the haunted house but warned that it’s “a little on the scary side.” She did reiterate that the live actors will not mess with the younger participants.

“The last time, we had kids who were too scared, the parents asked, ‘Is it OK if you watch the kids while we go through real quick?’” Lu Milliken said.

The one-day event definitely is a family affair. Lu Milliken will dress up but said she will be stationed at the front to make sure just a few children at a time go in. Kevin Milliken has plans of his own.

“He’s one of those creepy guys who dresses up and goes to Halloween or Howl-O-Scream,” she said. “He’s going to work the side we haven’t done before. I think it’s always important to send them screaming at the end.”

Their daughter, Crystal Lee Milliken, has played numerous roles through the years, including a nurse tending to a “living” corpse. Her husband, James Christoffel, enjoys making guests scream, too, with the unexpected.

Tristan gets into the act, as well. This year, he will be a prison warden, and his best friend, Max Georgiev, will be a prisoner chained to a wall. A few other friends also will have roles in the haunted house.

IF YOU GO

WHERE: 330 N. Tubb St., across from Speer Park, Oakland WHEN: 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31

CALENDAR

SCHOOL EVENTS

DILLARD STREET ELEMENTARY FALL FESTIVAL

WHEN: 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28 WHERE: Dillard Street Elementary, 311 N. Dillard St., Winter Garden DETAILS: The Dillard Street Elementary PTA invites the school community to its fall festival.

METROWEST ELEMENTARY TRUNK-OR-TREAT

WHEN: 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28 WHERE: MetroWest Elementary, 1801 Lake Vilma Drive, Orlando DETAILS: MetroWest Elementary PTA is holding a Trunk-or-Treat for its school and families.

SUNSET PARK ELEMENTARY TRUNK-OR-TREAT

WHEN: 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28 WHERE: Sunset Park Elementary, 12050 Overstreet Road, Windermere DETAILS: Candy, activities and food trucks will be available; family friendly costumes are welcome. The school is encouraging masks and social distancing. The cost for the event is $5 per family.

WATER SPRING ELEMENTARY FALL FESTIVAL

WHEN: 4 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28 WHERE: Water Spring Elementary, 16000 Water Spring Blvd., Winter Garden DETAILS: The festival will feature games, relay races, obstacle courses, a rock wall and much more. Tickets are $5 if purchased before the event and $8 at the door. Kids under the age 4 are free.

CITY EVENTS

DR. PHILLIPS ONCE UPON A HALLOWEEN

WHEN: 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30 WHERE: Theatre South, The Marketplace at Dr. Phillips, 7601 Della Drive, Suite 15, Orlando DETAILS: This event will feature safe and fun trick-or-treating, as well as a spooky play reading of “Sleepy Hollow.”

OAKLAND OAKLAND NATURE PRESERVE PUMPKIN GLOW

WHEN: 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, and Saturday, Oct. 30 WHERE: Oakland Nature Preserve, 747 Machete Trail, Oakland DETAILS: The family-friendly Glow Trail at the Oakland Nature Preserve will be lined with jacko’-lanterns created by members of the community, making for an ethereal and beautiful nighttime hike. REGISTRATION: oaklandnaturepreserve.org/pumpkinglow

OCOEE NIGHT OF TERROR HAUNTED HOUSE

WHEN: 7 to 10 p.m. through Oct. 30 WHERE: Jim Beech Recreation Center, 1820 A.D. Mims Road, Ocoee

SPOOKTOBER

WHEN: Oct. 28 (scary movie night), Oct. 29 (trunk-or-treat and a game truck), Oct. 30 (carnival and scavenger hunt WHERE: Jim Beech Recreation Center, 1820 A.D. Mims Road, Ocoee

Pumpkin Palooza pleases

Reina Braga was dressed for the occasion.

The perfect pumpkin was ripe for the picking at Hamlin’s Pumpkin Patch Palooza Saturday, Oct. 23. Okahumpka-based Bountiful Farms arranged a farmers’ market-style setting for shopping and lots of festive photo ops. Food trucks, activities tables and lawn games made for an evening of fun for the whole family.

— JIM CARCHIDI

The rst big shopping day of the holiday season was Oct. 23 at Hamlin’s Pumpkin Patch Palooza.

David and Kimberly Burns brought their son, Callum, to his rst pumpkin patch. Alexander Maggioni, right, enjoted the event with his sister, Annabella.

Jim Carchidi

Characters and performers roam Plant Street for photo ops.

CALENDAR CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

ASYLUM HAUNTED HOUSE

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Oct. 28 and 29 WHERE: 108 Taylor St., Ocoee

TOO CUTE TO SPOOK — MEET THE VILLAINS

WHEN: 5 to 7:45 p.m. Oct. 30 WHERE: Princesses & Princes, 1637 E. Silver Star Road, Ocoee

WINDERMERE COSTUME PARADE AND HAYRIDE

WHEN: 9:45 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 30 WHERE: Downtown Windermere

HAY MAZE

WHEN: Open daily WHERE: City Hall, 300 W. Plant St.

LIVE MUSIC AND PERFORMERS

WHEN: 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, through Sunday, Oct. 31 WHERE: Downtown Winter Garden

‘ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW’

WHEN: 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30; and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31 WHERE: Garden Theatre, 160 W. Plant St. TICKETS: gardentheater.org

HALLOWEEN ALTERNATIVES CROSSROADS IMPACT CHURCH FAMILY FALL FEST

WHEN: Noon to 3 p.m Saturday, Oct. 30 WHERE: Quest Church, 1450 Citrus Oaks Ave., Gotha DETAILS: A new church in Gotha is hosting a family fall fest for local community members. Some of the main events will include a chili cook-o , races, a pie-eating contest and a costume contest.

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF WINTER GARDEN TRUNK-OR-TREAT AND “THE MONSTER GOSPELS”

WHEN: 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31 WHERE: 125 N. Lakeview Ave., Winter Garden DETAILS: Decorate a trunk or golf cart for the holiday and join the church for a safe evening of trick-or-treating in downtown Winter Garden. Trunk-or-treating will begin at 5 p.m., and at 6 p.m. “The Monster Gospels” will be presented by Jason Korsiak.

Downtown Winter Garden features plenty of delightfully scary scenes for Halloween.

GLAD TIDINGS CHURCH FALL FESTIVAL AND TRUNK-OR-TREAT

WHEN: 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31 WHERE: 2009 E. Fullers Cross Road, Ocoee DETAILS: Ocoee residents and their families are invited to come experience a Drive-Thru Trunkor-Treat put on by Glad Tidings Church. The event will consist of contactless adventures, sweet treat, special elements and more.

LIFEBRIDGE CHURCH FALL FESTIVAL

WHEN: 9 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 31 WHERE: 12120 Chase Road, Windermere DETAILS: A Trunk-or-Treat, bounce houses, food trucks, a pumpkin patch, face painting, music, games and more will all be available for free.

POEMA TRUNK OR TREAT

WHEN: 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30 WHERE: 13640 W. Colonial Drive, Winter Garden DETAILS: There will be decorated cars, pre-packaged candy, free snacks and live music.

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.” Friedrich Hayek

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944

Editor and Publisher / Michael Eng, meng@OrangeObserver.com

Design Editor / Jessica Eng, jeng@OrangeObserver.com Community Editor / Amy Quesinberry, amyq@OrangeObserver.com Associate Editor / Jim Carchidi, jcarchidi@OrangeObserver.com Sports Editor /Chris Martucci, cmartucci@OrangeObserver.com Sta Writer / Annabelle Sikes, asikes@OrangeObserver.com

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